Supporting construction for rail-joint bolts



W. P. THOMSON. SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL JOINT BOLTS.

- Patented Oct. 7,1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. THOMSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,- A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

SUPPORTING CONSTRUCTION FOR RAIL-JOINT BOLTS.

Application filed May 14, 1919. Serial No. 297,065. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PAToN THOMSON, citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State'of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supporting Constructions for Rail-Joint Bolts, of which the following is a specification.

Thepresent invention is designed to definitely brace and support the intermediate portion of rail joint bolts to enable them to better withstand abnormal bending and shearing stresses due to varying track conditions.

Primarily, two principal objects are achieved by the invention, one of which is to afford an increased bearing support on the central portion of each joint bolt in order to minimize shearing and bending strains thereon, and the other of which objects is to provide this increased bearing support for the bolts in a manner that will definitely in crease the tensile strength of the supporting plate in the'region of the bolt holes.

The important features of construction, particularly referred to, possess special utility in their application to that type of rail joint wherein the splice bar webs have a relatively advanced outward'location from the rail web, and which requirethe use of long bolts that are necessarily more susceptible than the shorter bolts to bending or shearing strains. In that class of rail joints the present invention functions to provide a strong supporting brace forthe central portion of the bolts to enable them to effectually resist strains that would otherwise tend to bend or shear the same.

Furthermore, the present invention provides an improvement which contributes materially to the stability of rail joint structures generally where conditions are present that would tend to place abnormal stresses upon the bolts. These conditions arise from several causes, but those particularly in view are. first, the increasing use of high-rails with correspondingly broadened bases, which in itself has a natural tendency to throw the web of the splice bar outward to thereby increase the length of the bolts required, and such rail joint structures could obviously be improved by the use of the present invention. Again, frequently in cases where tie spacing is disregarded with reference to the rail joints and spike slots are eliminated from the splice bars, thetrack is thus perresult of abnormal stresses being thrown upon the bolts. And, under such conditions, the longer the bolts the less able are the same to withstand the bending stresses which are efi'ectually resisted by the present invention.

With these and other objects in view which will be apparent to those familiar with the art, the present invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

The invention is necessarily susceptible of a Wide range of modification, and to embodiment in different forms of construction, but certain preferred and practical embodi- .ments are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a rail joint having one form of bolt supporting construction embodying the present invention.

' Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modification in the form of supporting bar which may be employed for giving definite reinforcement and bracing support to the central portions of the bolt.

Fig. 3 is a section of a rail with joint fittings omitted and illustrating another form r of the invention to accomplish the desired result.

Like references designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings. The improvement contemplated by the present invention does not require any special alteration of the rail joint structure to which it is applied, nor is the invention limited to any particular type of rail joint. However, since the invention possesses special utility in its application to certain wellknown forms of the Thomson-Thomson type of rail joint, wherein the splice bars have specially reinforced heads and webs which are located a greater distance outward from the rail than an ordinary angle bar,

e such type f rall joint is illustratedin the drawings better illustrate the functions of the improvement claimed herein.

Refe'rri g to the drawings, the type of rail joints sh wn includes in its general organization tlfe rail R, the opposite splice bars S-S and the joint bolts 1 and in this type of construction -it will be seen that a longer Patented Oct. 7, 19919;

ferred to, it is proposed by the present in- 'oint bolt is required than in the old anglear type of rail joint. For the purpose of definitely and efl'ectually reinforcingv and supporting the central portion of each bolt whereby it will better resist the bendlng or shearing strains, due ,to the conditions 'revention to associate with the splice bars and with the boltsan auxiliary member which may be termed a bolt-supporting bar. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs; 1 and 2 of the drawings'the bolt sup-- proper operative relation not only to the central portion of the joint bolt but also to the splice bar itself. In the embodiment referredto, namely the one shown in-Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the bolt supporting. bar 2 may be'in the form of an angle Plate having an upper holding flange '3 lying between the head of the bar and the under-side of the head of the rail, and a depending supporting flange 4 which lies between the bar and the rail web and preferably against the sideof the rail web. This depending supporting flange 4 of-the bolt supporting bar has punchings't'o provide bearing holes 5 which are in alinement with the bolt holes through the rail web and therefore receive the j o1nt bolts.

The bearing holes 5 through each bolt supporting bar 2 are preferably reduced continuations of the bolt holes through the rail web and therefore aii'ord an increased and less variable bearing or bearing support for the central portion of the b0 t which will stifl en, and support the same against bending or shearing stresses, and one of the desirab e features of the present invention is to provide the bolt supporting bar with a substantial reinforcement in the region of the bolt bearing holes therethrough. This reinforcement of the boltsupporting bar may obviously be accomplished in a variety of ways. For instance, as shown in Fig. 1, by swelling the bod of the bar laterally at and adjacent the b0 t bearing holes therethrough, resulting in giving a materially increased bearing .support for the bolt while at the same time increasing the tensile strength of the bar. Another form of the enlargement and reinforcement for the bolt supporting bar in the region of the bolt bearing holes therethrough is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and is designated by the numeral 6, such enlargement being provided by a continuous or discontinuous rib along the lower portion of the depending supporting flange 4 of the bar.

A still further modification of the invention showing an additional aspect of the invention is that illustrated in Fig. of the drawings wherein the bolt supporting bar designated by the numeral 7 is gri ped between the base of the splice bar and 'the rail flange and is provided with an upstanding supporting flange 8. This upstanding supporting flange 8, of bearin bar 7, may be of a folded formation pro ucing a double thickness or enlargement through which the bolt bearing holes are punched, and said upstandin supporting flange 8 also termr nates s ort of the head of thesplice bar so as not. to interfere with the splice bar being given a maximum width of head, which is a special feature of the Thomson- Thomson spl1ce above referred to. 7

With reference to the present invention permitting the splice bar to be formed with a maximum width of head itfwill be observed that this is provided for in the construction shown in Figs. 1 and, 2-by having the neck portion 9 of the supportin bar 2 of shimming thickness, only, thus eavin ample clearance to accommodate any desired width for the splice bar head. 7

From the foregoingit may now be emphasized that thepreferable practice of reinforcing the bolt supporting plates in the region of the bolt holes therein would be for the purpose of increasing the tensile strength of'the bars above and belowthe bolt holes, but possibly only above or only below the bolt holes, where'the continuity of the metal would insure that the tensile strength of the bar would be in direct proportion to the area and quality of the metal without consideration of loss of strength, due to punching. At the same timethe reinforcement indicated wouldafl'ord an increased bearing area or bearing support for the bolts on the central portion thereof,

thereby minimizing any tendency of the splice bearing plates to bend or cut the bolts.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction function and advantages of the herein escribed improvement will be now apparent without further description, and it will be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing a'ny of the advantages of the invention.

I claim;

1. In a rail joint, a bolt supporting bar havin" an extended bearing support for the joint oltsr 2. In a rail joint, a bolt supporting bar having an enlargement formin an extended bearing support for a joint b0 t.

. 3. In a rail joint, a bolt supportin bar having a bolt bearing hole and. a rein orcement mthe region of said hole.

4. In a rail joint, a bolt supporting bar having a bolt bearing hole and a, reinforcing enlargement in the region'of said hole.

g 5 rail, the splice -'bar and the joint bolt, a bolt supporting bar arranged between the rail Web and the splice bar web and having a bolt bearing hole providing an extended bearing support for the intermediate part 10 of the bolt.

7, In a rail joint, the combination with the rail, the splice bar and the joint bolt,

. of a, bolt supporting bar held by the splice bar alon the rail web and provided with a 15 bolt bearing hole and a reinforcing enlargement in the region of said hole.

8. In a rail joint, the combination with the rail, the splice bar and the joint bolt,

of a bolt supporting bar held by the splice bar along the rail Web and provided with a bolt bearing hole, of less diameter than the bolt hole in the rail Web, and a reinforcing enlargement in the region of said hole.

9. In a rail joint, a bolt supporting bar having a reinforced extension along the rail Web to sustain the bolts against bending stresses. v

' In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM P. THOMSON. Witnesses:

E. K. KERSHNER, C. A. Drsnnow. 

